Geoffrey Robertson, AO QC is one of the world's leading human-rights advocates, whose work as a barrister, author and judge has been a key inspiration for the global justice movement. His autobiography, Rather His Own Man, is published by Knopf.

BLINKY BILL
Dorothy Wall

The first tears I recall shedding over a book were reading of his daddy's cruel death, shot by a gun lover for pleasure. Such stories are meant to encourage kindness to animals but I suspect my sorrow over the pointless killing of a koala sparked an early interest in human, rather than animal rights. His mum's decision to run "far into the bush with Blinky, away from man, with his gun" was a first alert to the refugee experience.

GREAT EXPECTATIONS
Charles Dickens

The figure in this book that most intrigued me was the lawyer, Mr Jaggers. I was gripped, at the age of 14, by his self-controlled power and professional purpose, dedicated unemotionally to saving the necks of the wretches at the Old Bailey who managed to pay his fees. He is not one of Dickens' loveable characters, but he was the first lawyer I had come across and he was someone, I thought, one day I would like to be like.